Maroon 5 (feat. Wiz Khalifa) - Payphone

I love Maroon 5. This is a fact evidenced by the absurd number of play counts in my iTunes. Seriously, these guys can do no wrong (minus that whole "Moves Like Jagger" thing – I just wasn’t a fan). Their song "Nothing Lasts Forever" (an unreleased single from their 2^nd album) is one of the best songs (musically, lyrically, everyway) that I’ve ever heard, and definitely lands near the top of my all time favorite songs list. But anyway. I’ve been eagerly waiting for new music from them ever since their last album Hands All Over dropped nearly two years ago. Like always, I loved that album so much that I just kept playing the songs over and over again, which made me restless for new music very quickly. After taking a little detour (code for Adam Levine being able to do his thing on The Voice), Maroon 5 is back and better than ever, ready to take on the pop/rock world with their 4^th studio album, Overexposed. The first single off the album is "Payphone," a song with a slightly more pop feel than the typical Maroon 5 style, which the band premiered Monday night on The Voice. The song definitely caught my attention, even though the live version does not do the studio cut justice. Since then, though, I’ve been addicted … playing it multiple times every day. The song starts out with just a keyboard and Levine’s crystal clear falsetto. From that point on, the song never slows down. Its energy builds with intensity that culminates in an exceptional chorus backed by full band and blasting pop beats. The only issue I can point out is that the rap part by Wiz Khalifa could have been left out. I’m not sure why almost every popular pop song today has to have a rap part in it, but really, this song is so powerful that it could have stood on its own just fine. Not to be outshined by the musical element, the lyrics (like always) tell a brilliant story. I’m not sure who had to break Adam’s heart to inspire him to write this song, but I’m glad they did. Overall, it’s a great pop song that reflects the shift the band has undergone in trying to create a more infectious pop feel. Sadly, the release of Overexposed is still two months away (June 26,2012 is when it will come out), which means I’ll have to hang on to this song to satisfy my new song craving. But, that’s ok with me. - Lindsey